Oleta Adams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Oleta Adams | ||
|---|---|---|
 Cover of Christmas Time with Oleta
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Oleta Adams | |
| Born | May 4, 1962 | |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington | |
| Genre(s) | Gospel, Soul, Jazz | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Instrument(s) | Singing, piano | |
| Years active | 1980 - present | |
| Label(s) | Koch Records | |
| Website | http://www.oletaadams.com | |
Oleta Adams (born May 4, 1962 in Seattle, Washington) is an American soul and jazz singer.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Oleta was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.
Oleta started her career in the early 80s with two self financed albums which had limited success. In 1985, she was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, founders of the famous English pop band Tears For Fears whilst performing in a Kansas City, Missouri bar. They invited her to join their band as a singer to their next album The Seeds of Love. [1]
In 1989, the LP was released and the single "Woman In Chains" - sung as a duet by Adams and Orzabal and with Phil Collins on drums - became her real first hit. Oleta started her solo career in 1990 assisted by Orzabal who did the production. Her debut album Circle of One received much critical acclaim and she scored her biggest hit to date in 1991 with her cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here". 1991 also saw Oleta contribute to the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album, Two Rooms, on which appeared her version of John's 1974 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me".
Her next album Evolution was also a commercial success. Her 1995 release, Moving On, saw Oleta move more in the direction of R&B. Two years later she released the Christian themed Come Walk With Me.
Oleta Adams' smooth sumptuous contralto voice has become the vanguard in an R&B jazz segment that was largely vacant during Anita Baker's hiatus.
Oleta Adams has released her first Christmas album on October 3, 2006 titled Christmas Time with Oleta. [2]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Date | Title | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Going on Record | Self financed and released |
| 1990 | Circle of One | |
| 1993 | Evolution | |
| 1995 | Moving On | |
| 1996 | The Very Best of Oleta Adams | |
| 1997 | Come Walk With Me | Only available from the official site [2] |
| 2001 | All the Love | |
| 2004 | Ultimate Collection | |
| October 3, 2006 [2] | Christmas Time with Oleta | United States, Canada, and The Netherlands only [3] |
[edit] Singles and selected songs
| Date | Title | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Woman In Chains" (with Tears For Fears) | re-released in 1992 |
| 1990 | "Rhythm of Life" | |
| 1991 | "Get Here" | |
| 1991 | "You've Got to Give Me Room" | |
| 1991 | "Circle of One" | |
| 1991 | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | |
| 1993 | "I Just Had to Hear Your Voice" | |
| 1993 | "Window of Hope" | |
| 1994 | "My Heart Won't Lie" | |
| 1994 | "We Will Find a Way" (duet with Brenda Russell) | Featured in the film Corrina, Corrina |
| 1995 | "Never Knew Love" | |
| 1995 | "Rhythym of life" (remix) | |
| 1995 | "Me and My Big Ideas" (with Tears For Fears) | |
| 1996 | "We Will Meet Again" | |
| 2001 | "When You Walked into My Life" | |
| 2002 | "I Can't Live a Day Without You" |
[edit] DVDs
- Oleta Adams Live in Concert (2005)
[edit] References
- ^ VH1.com Biography Oleta Adams. (Retrieved: September 15, 2006)
- ^ a b c Official website News 9/10/2006. Retrieved September 15, 2006
- ^ Official site Inspiration for the Christmas album. Retrieved September 15, 2006
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Adams, Oleta |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 4, 1962 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Yakima, Washington |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
